The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) on Tuesday explained the reason for its indifference to the lingering political feud between the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi and the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, saying the feud is a distraction from the sufferings of the Ijaw Ethnic group in the state.
According to the umbrella body of Ijaw Youths Worldwide, its silence was due to its pent up anger against the actions and poor policies of the Rivers Government which does not favour the Ijaws.
Making the IYC’s position known to newsmen in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, the former secretary-general, Comrade Udengs Eradiri said the Rivers State Government has been unfair with its policy of mass demolition of homes belonging to people of Ijaw origin along the waterfront thereby throwing their families into a state of despair and suffering.
Eradiri said, “The Ijaw Youths have observed the reported feud between Governor Amaechi and President Jonathan with amusement.IYC is an interested party and supports President Goodluck Jonathan. But we have observed that the crisis is a distraction from the core issues of poor governance and sufferings of the Ijaws in Rivers State.”
“We are silent because we know the genesis of the crises. We know that this is a feud between the master and his boy. This has gone too far and the President should be left alone and be allowed to resolve it. The Ijaw people are suffering in Rivers State. The areas of Ijaw in Rivers State are suffering from under-development. We are not happy about it.”
